2 Kings 17:38 kjv
And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
2 Kings 17:38 nkjv
And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.
2 Kings 17:38 niv
Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods.
2 Kings 17:38 esv
and you shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods,
2 Kings 17:38 nlt
Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.
2 Kings 17 38 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:23 | Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you... | Don't forget the covenant, don't make idols. |
| Deut 6:12 | Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt... | Warning against forgetting God after blessings. |
| Deut 8:11 | Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments... | Forgetting God leads to not keeping commands. |
| Exod 20:3 | Thou shalt have no other gods before me. | First Commandment: no other gods. |
| Deut 5:7 | Thou shalt have none other gods before me. | Reiterates the prohibition against other gods. |
| Deut 10:12 | And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God... | Requirement to fear (worship) the Lord only. |
| Josh 24:14 | Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served... | Serve God alone, abandon other gods. |
| Judg 6:10 | I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell... | God commands not to fear pagan gods. |
| Jer 2:32 | Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number. | Israel's unnatural act of forgetting God. |
| Ps 78:10-11 | They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them. | Israel forgot God's works and covenant. |
| Hos 4:6 | My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee... because thou hast forgotten the law of thy God... | Forgetting God's law leads to destruction. |
| Heb 8:10 | For this is the covenant that I will make... I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts... | Prophecy of new covenant, internalizing God's laws. |
| Matt 22:37-38 | Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart... This is the first and great commandment. | Echoes God's primary claim and love as exclusive. |
| 1 Cor 8:4, 6 | ...we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one... there is but one God, the Father... | Affirms monotheism, denies reality of other gods. |
| 1 Jn 5:21 | Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. | New Testament warning against idolatry. |
| Rev 14:7 | Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth... | Call to fear and worship the Creator alone. |
| Lev 26:15 | And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments... so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant... | Disobedience equates to breaking the covenant. |
| Deut 32:18 | Of the Rock that begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. | Forgetting God as Creator and provider. |
| Jer 3:21 | For they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God. | Departure from God's way linked to forgetting Him. |
| Judg 2:11-13 | And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim... And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. | Israel's pattern of forgetting and serving other gods. |
| Is 17:10 | Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength... | Forgetting God leads to a loss of salvation/strength. |
| Ez 20:21 | ...yet their children rebelled against me... nor walked in my statutes... but polluted my sabbaths: and their eyes were after their fathers' idols. | Idolatry and rebellion were repeated covenant violations. |
| Hos 13:4 | Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me. | God alone is the true God and Saviour. |
| Mal 4:4 | Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. | Final Old Testament exhortation to remember Moses' law (covenant). |
2 Kings 17 verses
2 Kings 17 38 Meaning
This verse conveys two fundamental and intertwined commands that are central to the covenant relationship between God and His people: the imperative to constantly remember God's covenant, meaning to uphold its terms and principles in practice, and the strict prohibition against the worship or reverence of any other deities. It summarizes Israel's essential obligations—unwavering faithfulness to Yahweh alone and absolute rejection of idolatry—whose neglect led to their judgment and exile.
2 Kings 17 38 Context
2 Kings chapter 17 chronicles the tragic end of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. From verse 7 onwards, the narrator meticulously details the reasons for their fall and exile at the hands of the Assyrians. The central charge against Israel is their profound apostasy, directly linked to their continuous disobedience to God's commandments, statutes, and covenant (vv. 7-12). They adopted the idolatrous practices of the nations around them, building high places for pagan worship, practicing divination, and even child sacrifice. Verse 38 specifically targets two pivotal failures that encapsulate Israel's rebellion: their failure to remember God's covenant—meaning a practical disregard for its stipulations and implications—and their active involvement in the worship of other gods. This directly contravened the foundational tenets given to them at Mount Sinai (Horeb), especially the first two commandments demanding exclusive worship of Yahweh and prohibiting idolatry. The historical backdrop is one of widespread syncretism where God's unique covenant people blurred the lines between their identity and the pagan nations, inevitably leading to divine judgment as warned throughout the Mosaic law.
2 Kings 17 38 Word analysis
- And (וְ - ve): This simple conjunction connects the present instructions to the immediate narrative explaining why Israel fell, highlighting the foundational errors they consistently made.
- the covenant (הַבְּרִית - ha-berit): This refers to the Mosaic Covenant established at Mount Sinai (Exod 24), a sacred, binding agreement initiated by God Himself. This covenant defined Israel's identity, laws, and relationship with Yahweh. It promised blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deut 28), which had been fulfilled in Israel's downfall. The berit was the core of their national existence.
- that I have made (אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתִּי - asher karat-ti): The verb karat (to cut) alludes to the ancient ritual of cutting sacrificial animals in two and passing between the halves, symbolizing the solemnity and self-malediction implied if one broke the oath (Gen 15:18). It underscores God's personal initiative and commitment to this divinely established agreement with Israel.
- with you (אִתְּכֶם - it-khem): Emphasizes that this covenant was a direct and personal pact between God and the nation of Israel, placing direct responsibility for adherence upon them.
- ye shall not forget (לֹא תִשְׁכָּחוּ - lo tishkachu): "Forget" (שָׁכַח - shakach) is more than a simple memory lapse. It implies neglecting, disregarding, or failing to acknowledge the truth of God's character, His laws, or His mighty acts of deliverance. This spiritual amnesia often led to practical disobedience and spiritual drift.
- neither shall ye fear (לֹא תִירָאוּ - lo tira'u): "Fear" (יָרֵא - yare') in this context primarily denotes reverence, worship, and allegiance. The negation is a prohibition against rendering such ultimate devotion to anyone or anything other than Yahweh. Proper fear of the Lord involves obedience, humility, and trust.
- other gods (אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים - elohim acherim): Literally "other mighty ones" or "foreign divine beings." This is a direct condemnation of polytheism and idolatry. It specifically refers to the deities of the surrounding pagan nations, such as Baal and Asherah, who represented different aspects of fertility or power. This phrase highlights the uncompromising monotheism demanded by God in His covenant with Israel and serves as a polemic against the prevalent syncretistic practices of the ancient Near East.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "And the covenant that I have made with you": This foundational phrase immediately grounds the instruction in God's initiated relationship with Israel. It signifies the singular bond God established, setting Israel apart from all other nations. The emphasis is on God's agency ("I have made"), indicating the divine authority behind the covenant's stipulations.
- "ye shall not forget": This is a command to cultivate perpetual mindfulness of God's covenant terms. Forgetting implied practical abandonment of God's ways, leading to assimilation with surrounding pagan cultures. It was a failure of national memory and spiritual devotion, a core reason for Israel's demise. This highlights that remembering God's covenant translates into obedient living.
- "neither shall ye fear other gods": This imperative directly addresses the exclusive worship Yahweh demanded. Fearing "other gods" denotes giving them reverence, offering sacrifices, and seeking guidance or provision from them. This direct opposition to polytheism and idolatry was the chief marker of Israel's faithfulness or unfaithfulness, as outlined in the First and Second Commandments. The two parts of the verse are inseparable: forgetting God leads directly to fearing (worshipping) other gods.
2 Kings 17 38 Bonus section
The consistent warnings against "forgetting" God's covenant throughout the book of Deuteronomy set the theological stage for understanding the judgments described in 2 Kings. Israel’s historical trajectory, from entering Canaan to their eventual exile, reveals a recurring cycle of forgetting Yahweh and turning to the deities of the land, illustrating the direct fulfillment of the Deuteronomic curses. This verse also implicitly critiques the practices of the "new" inhabitants of Samaria, who were learning about the Lord yet also serving their own gods (2 Kgs 17:33), thereby committing the same sin of divided allegiance that brought down the Northern Kingdom. This highlights God's demand for unadulterated worship and truth, recognizing no syncretism or partial allegiance as acceptable. The downfall of Israel served as a stark, undeniable example of God's justice and His unyielding commitment to His covenant, even in judgment.
2 Kings 17 38 Commentary
2 Kings 17:38 succinctly presents the divine indictment against the Northern Kingdom. It underlines the twofold transgression that resulted in their exile: the corporate failure to "not forget" God's covenant and their willingness to "fear other gods." The command to "not forget" the covenant is a profound call not merely to intellectual recall, but to active, lived fidelity to God's revealed will and His historical acts of salvation. Israel's amnesia was not simply poor memory but a spiritual rebellion where they deliberately ignored God's authority, statutes, and the exclusivity of His claims. This spiritual forgetfulness naturally led to the second, prohibited action: fearing other gods. Idolatry, whether open worship of pagan deities or implicit trust in human institutions or achievements, constitutes spiritual adultery against God. Yahweh demanded singular devotion, and Israel's pervasive syncretism, born of forgetting Him, demonstrated a profound and fatal division of loyalty. This verse is not just a historical account; it is a timeless principle affirming God's expectation of wholehearted, exclusive allegiance from His covenant people.Practical application: For believers today, this means regularly meditating on the New Covenant established in Christ, ensuring we do not "forget" His atoning work or the call to love Him above all else. It challenges us to identify and remove "other gods" from our lives—anything or anyone that takes priority over Christ, be it possessions, power, prestige, or self-gratification—and instead live in consistent "fear" (reverence) and worship of God alone.